La Leche League International’s
mission is to help mothers worldwide to breastfeed through mother-to-mother
support, encouragement, information, and education to promote a better
understanding of breastfeeding as an important element in the healthy
development of the baby and mother. Leaders empower mothers by using
empathetic listening and communication skills and by sharing information
without giving advice. If we keep these ideas in mind while leading
Series Meetings, we won’t go far wrong. What if we want to spice
up our leading style, though? This article discusses ways to make the
most of meetings.

Before the Meeting

Preparation will help ease
nervousness and allow meetings to flow more smoothly. Preparation may
involve practicing what you will say either alone or with someone to
listen. Spouses, co-Leaders, your children, and even pets may be wonderful
sounding boards for your ideas.

Anticipate what questions
a particular topic may generate and think about the possible responses
for these questions. Bring resources to the meeting to help with difficult
questions. It is fine to answer a mother with a statement such as, “I’d
like to look that up in the Breastfeeding Answer Book after the meeting
to find more information for you.”

A preparatory step that will
help ensure you don’t leave anything out is to write or print out
your announcements and meeting outline or idea. If you can provide your
co-Leader with a copy of your meeting focus and a brief rundown of what
you have planned, she will be able to jump in if your child draws you
away at a critical moment.

Many mothers attend meetings
to socialize with other like-minded women as well as for the breastfeeding
support and information we provide. Plan time for socializing after
the meeting.
Another important factor in meeting preparation is consideration of
your setting. Ask yourself if the room/home is conducive to the presence
of small children, is relatively allergen-free, and is likely to promote
conversation.

Group workers can help a
meeting run smoothly, particularly at the start. A publicity person
can boost attendance by sending reminders prior to the meeting and listing
meeting information in local papers and parenting magazines. A greeter
can see that everyone is welcomed, is assured she has come to the right
place, and has a nametag. A Librarian can check in returned books and
assist women in finding books they need.

Starting the Meeting

Start promptly. When mothers
who arrive on time are kept waiting, they may feel latecomers are considered
more important. When you do start, keep in mind that effective public
speaking includes speaking with confidence while using attentive body
language. Remember, the the audience wants you to succeed, so enjoy
yourself and speak conversationally rather than reading what you have
to say off of a piece of paper.

Avoid mixing causes in your
interactions as a Leader. LLLI’s statement on mixing causes states
in part, “Helping mothers worldwide to breastfeed, so that they
can learn mothering through breastfeeding, is the main focus of the
work of La Leche League.…The La Leche League Group is not to be
used as a forum for a Leader’s non-LLL interests or to do the work
of organizations other than LLL” (LLLI Policies and Standing Rules,
Appendix 10).

At our meetings, all ideas
are respected, but Leaders represent and present LLL philosophy. To
mothers at a meeting, the Leader is LLL, and LLL doesn’t take a
stand on animal rights, politics, or anything other than breastfeeding.
When Leaders mix causes, mothers don’t get the breastfeeding information
and support for which they came.

Write down any announcements
that you would like to say at the beginning of the meeting. If you finish
your announcements with a question to your co-Leader—“Is that
all?”—the importance of what you have said may be diminished
in the eyes of your audience. (See box for announcement ideas.)

Mothers’ breastfeeding
concerns are often the reason they came to the meeting. Assure that
each person’s concerns are addressed, even if it means not getting
to the planned topic. Answer burning questions first; it allows mothers
to focus on the topic when you get to it.

Varying your meeting format
will help maintain attendees’ and Leaders’ interest. When
deciding on a format, remember that adults retain little of what they
simply read or hear, and a great deal of what they see, say, and do.
Mothers will see lots of others breastfeeding at Series Meetings, so
you’re already halfway there! A meeting structure that encourages
mothers to become involved participants rather than passive listeners
is more likely to leave an impression.

Andrea Kelly and her husband,
Marcus, have three sons and a baby due in June 2003. She has been a
Leader with the Olney/North Silver Springs, Maryland Group for three
years, and serves as ALLE (Area Leaders’ Letter Editor) for LLL
of MD-DE-DC (Maryland-Delaware-District of Columbia), USA. This article
is adapted from an article originally published in the Fall, 2002 issue
of Lantern, the Area Leaders’ Letter of LLL MD-DE-DC, USA. Brandel
Falk is the Contributing Editor for the “Leading Meetings”
column. All your ideas and articles may be sent to Brandel at Pal-Yam
34, Tsamerret Ha-Bira, Jerusalem, Israel or ImaBDF at inter.net.il (email).